1 Peter 2:12

Having your conduct honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

These two things that a natural man makes least account of, are of all things in highest regard with a Christian, his own soul, and God's glory. So that there be no stronger persuasives to him in any thing than the interest of these two, and by these the Apostle urges his present exhortation to holiness and blamelessness of life, for the substance of his advice or request in this, and the former verse, is the same, a truly honest conversation, is only that which is spiritual, not defiled with the carnal lusts and pollutions of the world.

The abstaining from those lusts does indeed comprehend, not only the rule of outward carriage, but the inward temper of the mind, whereas this honest conversation does more expressly concern our external deportment among men, as it is added, honest among the Gentiles. And so tending to the glory of God: so that these two are inseparably to be regarded the inward disposition of our hearts, and the outward conversation and course of our lives.

I shall speak to the former first as the spring of the latter, Keep your heart with all diligence. For all depends upon that for from there are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). And if so, then the regulating of the tongue, and eyes, and feet and all will follow. As there it follows, (verse 24). That the impure streams, may cease from running, the corrupt spring must be dried up. Men may convey them closely to run under ground as it were, as they do vaults and ditches, Sentinas & cloacas; but till the heart be renewed and purged from base lusts, it will still be sending forth some way or other the streams of iniquity, as a fountain swells out, or casts forth her waters unceasingly, so she casts out her wickedness, says the Prophet, of that very people, and city that was called holy by reason of the ordinances of God, and profession of the true religion that was among them. And therefore it is the same prophet's advice from the Lord. Wash your heart O Jerusalem how long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you (Jeremiah 4:14).

This is the true method, according to our Savior's doctrine: Make the tree good, and then the fruits will be good, not till then: for who can gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles. Some good outward actions avail nothing, the soul being unrenewed. As you may stick some figs or hang some clusters of grapes upon a thorn bush, but they cannot grow upon it.

In this men deceive themselves, even such as have some thoughts of amendment, when they fall into sin, and are reproved for it, they say and possibly think so too, I will take heed to myself, I will be guilty of this no more, and because they go no deeper, they are many of them ensnared in the same kind again: But however, if they do never commit that same sin, they do but change it for some other; as a current of waters, if you stop their passage one way, they rest not till they find another. The conversation can never be uniformly, and entirely good till the frame of the heart, the affections and desires that lodge in it be changed. It is naturally an evil treasure of impure lusts and must in some kind vent, and spend what it has within. It is to begin with the wrong end of your work to rectify the outside first, to smooth the conversation, and not first of all purge the heart. Evil affections are the source of evil speeches and actions. From where are strifes and fightings (says Saint James) are they not from your lusts which war in your members: Unquiet unruly lusts within are the cause of the unquietnesses and contentions abroad in the world. One man will have his corrupt will, and another his, and thus they choke and jostle one another, and by the cross encounters of their purposes as flints meeting, they strike out these sparks that set all on fire.

So then according to the order of the Apostle's exhortation, the only true principle of all good and Christian conversation in the world, is the mortifying of all earthly, and sinful lusts in the heart while they have possession of the heart, they do clog, it and straiten it towards God and his ways, it cannot walk constantly in them, but when the heart is freed from them it is enlarged and so (as David speaks) fits a man not only to walk but to run the way of God's commandments: And without this freeing of the heart a man will be at the best very uneven, and incongruous in his ways, one step like a Christian and another like a worldling, which is an unpleasant and an unprofitable way, not according to that word (Psalm 18). You have set my feet as hinds' feet, set them even, as the word is, not only swift but straight and even, and that is the thing here required the whole course and revolution of a Christian's life to be like himself, and that it may be so, the whole body of sin, and all the members of it, all the deceitful lusts, must be crucified.

In the words there are 3 things: 1. One point of a Christian's ordinary entertainment in the world is to be evil spoken of. 2. Their good use of that evil, to do the better for it. 3. The good end and certain effect of their so doing, the glory of God.

1. Whereas they speak against you as evil doers] This is in the general the disease of Man's corrupt nature, and argues much the baseness and depravedness of it, this propensity to evil speaking one of another either blotting the best actions with misconstructions, or taking doubtful things by the left ear, not choosing the most favorable, but on the contrary the very harshest sense that can be put upon them. Some men take more pleasure in the narrow eying of the true and real faults of men, and then speak of them with a kind of delight. All these kind of evil speakings are such fruits as spring from that bitter root of pride and self-love; which is naturally deep fastened in every man's heart: But besides this general bent to evil speaking, there is a particular malice in the world against those that are born of God which must have vent in calumnies and reproaches. If this evil speaking be the hissing that is natural to the serpent's seed, sure by reason of their natural antipathy it must be breathed forth most against the seed of the Woman, those that are one with Jesus Christ: If the tongues of the ungodly be sharp swords even to one another, they will whet them sharper than ordinary when they are to use them against the righteous, to wound their name. The evil tongue must be always burning, that is set on fire of hell as St. James speaks; but against the godly it will be sure to be heated seven times hotter than it is for others. Reasons of this are 1. Being naturally haters of God and yet unable to reach him, what wonder if their malice act itself against His image in His children, and labor to blot and stain that all they can with the foulest calumnies.

2. Because they are neither able nor willing themselves to attain to the spotless holy life of Christians they bemire them, and would make them like themselves by false aspersions, they cannot rise to the estate of the godly, and therefore they endeavor to draw them down to theirs by detraction.

3. The reproaches they cast upon the professors of pure religion, they mean mainly against religion itself, and intend them to reflect upon it.

These evil speakings of the world against pious men professing religion, are partly gross falsehoods invented without the least ground or appearance of truth, for the world being ever credulous of evil, especially upon so deep a prejudice as it has against the godly, the falsest and most absurd calumnies will always find so much belief as to make them odious or very suspected at least, to such as know them not; this is the world's maxim, Lie confidently and it will always do something. As a stone taken out of the mire and thrown against a white wall, though it stick not there but rebound presently back again, yet it leaves a spot behind it.

And with those kind of evil speakings, were the primitive Christians surcharged, even with gross and horrible falsehoods, as all know that know any thing of the history of those times, even such things were reported of them, as the worst of wicked men would scarce be guilty of. The Devil for as witty as he is, makes use again and again of his old inventions, and makes them serve in several ages, for so were the Waldenses accused of inhumane banquetings and beastly promiscuous uncleanness, and divers things not once to be named among Christians, much less to be practiced by them; so that it is no new thing to meet with the most impure and vile slanders as the world's reward of holiness, and the practice of pure religion.

Then again consider, how much more will the wicked insult upon the least real blemishes that they can espy among the professors of godliness. And in this there is a threefold injury very ordinary. 1. Strictly to pry into, and maliciously to object against Christians the smallest imperfections and frailties of their lives, as if they pretended and promised absolute perfection. They do indeed exercise themselves (such as are Christians indeed) with St. Paul, to keep a good conscience in all things towards God and men, they have a regard to all God's commandments, as David speaks, they have a sincere love to God which makes them study the exactest obedience they can reach, and this is an imperfect kind of perfection, it is evangelical, but not angelical. 2. To impute the scandalous falls of some particular persons to the whole number: It is a very short incompetent rule, to make judgment of any one man himself by one action, much more to measure all the rest of the same profession by it; and they yet proceed further in this way of misjudging. 3. That they impute the personal failings of men to their religion, and disadvantage it by the faults of those that profess it, which as the ancients plead well, is the greatest injustice, and such as they would not be guilty of against their own philosophers. They could well distinguish between their doctrine and the manners of some of their followers, and thus ought they to have dealt with Christians too. Consider their religion in itself, and the doctrine that it teaches, and if it were vicious the blame were just, but if it taught nothing but holiness and righteousness, then the blame of any unholiness or unrighteousness found among Christians was to rest upon the persons themselves, that were guilty of it, and not to be stretched to the whole number of professors, much less to the [reconstructed: religion] that they profess: And yet this is still the custom of the world upon the least failing they can espy in the godly, or such as seem to be so, much more with open mouth upon any gross sin in any of them.

But seeing this is the very character of a profane mind, and the badge of the enemies of religion, beware of sharing at all with them in it, give not easy entertainment to the reports of profane, or of mere civil men, against the professors of religion, they are undoubtedly partial, and their testimony justly suspected. Lend them not a ready ear to receive their evil speakings, much less your tongue to divulge them, and set them further going. Indeed, take heed that you take not pleasure in any the least kind of scoffs, against the sincerity and power of religion. And all of you that desire yourselves to walk as Christians, be very wary, that you wrong not one another, and help not the wicked against you, by your mutual misconstructions and miscensures one of another, far be it from you to take pleasure in hearing others evil spoken of, whether unjustly, or though it be some way deservedly, yet let it be always grievous to you, and no way pleasing to hear such things, much less to speak of them. It is the devil's delight to be pleased with evil speakings, the Syrian calls him an Akal Kartza — eater of slanders or calumnies. They are a dish that please his palate, and men are naturally of his diet. In Psalm 35:6 there is a word that is rendered mockers at feasts, or feasting-mockers, that feasted men's ears at their meetings with speaking of the faults of others scoffingly, and therefore shared with them of their cakes, or feasts as the word is. But to a renewed Christian mind, that has a new taste, and all new senses, there is nothing more unsavory, than to hear the defaming of others, especially of such as profess religion. Did the law of love possess our hearts it would regulate our ear and tongue, and make them most tender of the name of our brethren, it would teach us the faculty of covering their infirmities, and judging favorably, taking always the best side and most charitable sense of their actions, and to blunt the fire-edge of our censures upon ourselves, our own hard hearts and rebellious wills within, that they might remain no more sharp against others, than is needful for their good.

And this would cut short those that are without, from a great deal of provisions of evil speaking against Christians that they many times are furnished with by themselves, through their uncharitable carriage one towards another. However this being the hard measure that they always find in the world, it is their wisdom to consider it aright, and to study that good which according to the Apostle's advice, may be extracted out of it, and that is the second thing to be spoken to.

2. Your Conversation] As the sovereign power of drawing good out of evil resides in God, and argues his primitive goodness, so he teaches his own children some faculty this way, that they may resemble him in it, he teaches them to draw sweetness out of their bitterest afflictions, and increase of inward peace from their outward troubles. And as these buffetings of the tongue are no small part of their sufferings, so they reap no small benefit by them many ways, particularly in this one, that they order their conversation the better, and walk the more exactly for it.

And this no doubt in divine providence is intended and ordered for their good, and all their other trials. The sharp censures and evil speakings that a Christian is encompassed with in the world is no other but a hedge of thorns set on every side, that he go not out of his way, but keep straight on in it between them, not declining to the right hand nor to the left. Whereas if they found nothing, but the favor and good opinion of the world, they might as in a way unhedged be subject to expatiate, and wander out into the meadows of carnal pleasures that are about them, that would call and allure them, and often amuse them from their journey.

And thus it might fall out that Christians would deserve censure and evil speakings the more, if they did not usually suffer them undeserved. This then turns into a great advantage to them, making them more answerable to those two things that our Savior joins, to watch and pray, to be the more vigilant over themselves, and the more earnest with God for his watching over them, and conducting of them. Make my ways straight, says David, because of my enemies. The word is "My observers," or those that scan my ways every foot of them — that examine them as a verse, or as a song of music, if there be but a wrong measure in them, they will not let it slip, but will be sure to mark it.

And if they that are the godly's enemies wait for their halting, shall not they themselves scan them that they may not halt, and examine them to order them, as the wicked do to censure them, and with all depend wholly upon the Spirit of God as their guide to lead them into all truth, and to teach them how to order their conversation aright that it may be all of one piece — holy, and blameless and still like itself.

Honest] Fair, or beautiful — the same word does fitly signify goodness and beauty. For that, that is the truest and most lasting beauty grows fresher in old age as the Psalmist speaks of the righteous in Psalm 92, as trees planted in the house of God. Could the beauty of virtue be seen, said he, it would draw all to love it. A Christian holy conversation has such a beauty, as when they that are strangers to it begin to discern it any thing right, they cannot choose but love it, and where it begets not love, yet it silences calumny, or at least convinces its falsehood.

The goodness, or beauty of a Christian's conversation consisting in that symmetry and conformity to the word of God, as its rule — he ought diligently to study that rule, and to square his ways by it, not to walk at random, but to apply that rule to every step at home, and abroad, and to be as careful of the beauty of his ways, to keep that unspotted, as those women are of their faces and attire, that are most studious of comeliness.

But so far are we that call ourselves Christians from this exact regard of our conversation, the most part not only have many [reconstructed: foul spots], but they themselves, and all their ways nothing but defilement — all one spot, as our Apostle calls them, blots are they and spots (2 Peter 2:13). And even they that are Christians indeed, yet not so watchful, and accurate in all their ways as becomes, staining their holy profession either with pride, or covetousness, or contentions, or some other such like uncomeliness.

Let us therefore resolve all, more to study this good and comely conversation the Apostle [reconstructed: here] exhorts to, that it may be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ, as Saint Paul desires his Philippians.

And if you live among profane persons, that will be to you as the unbelieving Gentiles were to these believing Jews, that lived among them, traducers of you, and given to speak evil of you, and of Religion in you, trouble not yourselves with many apologies, and clearings, when you are evil spoken of, but let the [reconstructed: fact] of your life answer for you: your honest and blameless conversation: that will be the shortest and realest way of confuting all obloquies, as when one in the Schools was proving by a sophistical Argument that there could be no [reconstructed: motion]; the Philosopher answered it fully, and shortly by rising up and walking. If you would pay them home, this is a kind of revenge not only allowed you, but recommended to you, be avenged on evil speakings, by well doing, shame them from it. It was a King that said, it was Kingly to do well and be ill spoken of. Well may Christians acknowledge it to be true, when they consider, that it was the lot of their King Jesus Christ, and well may they be content, seeing he has made them likewise Kings, as we heard (verse 9) to be conformed to him in this too, this Kingly way of suffering to be unjustly evil spoken of, and still to go on in doing the more good, always aiming in so doing (as our Lord did) at the glory of our Heavenly Father. That is the third thing.

That they may glorify God.] He says not they shall praise or commend you, but shall glorify God. Whatever way this time, this day of Visitation be taken, the effect itself is this, they shall glorify God, it is this the Apostle still holds before their eye, and that upon which a Christian does willingly set his eye, and keep it fixed on it, in all his ways; he does not teach them to be sensible of their own esteem as it concerns themselves, but only as the glory of their God is interested in it, were it not this, a generous minded Christian could set a very light rate upon all the thoughts and speeches of men concerning him, whether good or bad, and could easily drown all their mistakes in the conscience of the favor and approbation of his God, it is a small thing for me to be judged of man, or the day of man, he that judges me is the Lord. Man has a day of judging, but it and his judgment with it soon passes away, but God has his day, and stands — his sentence abides for ever, as the Apostle there adds, as if he should say, I appeal to God.

But considering that the Religion he professes, and the God whom he worships in that Religion are wronged by those reproaches, and that the calumnies cast upon Christians reflect upon their Lord, this is the thing that makes him sensible, he feels on that side only, the reproaches of them that reproach you are fallen upon me, says the Psalmist. And this makes a Christian desirous even to men, to vindicate his Religion, and his God, without regard to himself, because he may say the reproaches of them that reproach only me have fallen upon you.

This is his intent in the holiness and integrity of his life, that God may be glorified, this is the axis about which all, this good conversation moves, and turns [reconstructed: continually].

And he that forgets this, let his conversation be never so plausible and spotless, knows not what it is to be a Christian. As they say of the Eagles who try their young ones whether they be of the right kind or no, by holding them before the Sun, and if they can look steadfastly upon it, they own them, if not they throw them away; this is the true evidence of an upright and real Christian, to have a steadfast eye on the glory of God the Father of Lights. In all, Let God be glorified, says the Christian and that suffices, that is the sum of his desires far from glorying in himself, or seeking to raise himself, for he knows that of himself, he is nothing, but by the free grace of God he is what he is, from where any glorying to you, rottenness and dust? (says Saint Bernard.) From where is it to you if you are holy? Is it not the Holy Spirit that has sanctified you. If you could work miracles, though they were done by your hand, yet it were not by your power, but by the power of God.

To the end that my glory may sing praise to you says David (Psalm 30). Whether his tongue, or his soul or both. What he calls his glory he shows us; and what use he has for it, namely to give the Lord glory, to sing his praises, and that then it was truly David's glory when it was so employed in giving glory to him whose peculiar due glory is. What have we to do in the world as his creatures? Once and again his creatures, his new creatures created to good works, but to exercise ourselves in those, and by those to advance his glory; that all may return to him, from whom all is, as the rivers run back to the Sea from where they came; of him and through him and therefore, for him are all things, says the Apostle. They that serve base gods seek how to advance and aggrandize them. The covetous man studies to make his Mammon as great as he can — all his thoughts and pains run upon that service, and so the voluptuous and ambitious for theirs. And shall not they that profess themselves the servants of the only great and the only true God have their hearts much more, at least, as much possessed with desires of honoring and exalting him, should not this be their predominant design and thought: What way shall I most advance the glory of my God, how shall I that am engaged more than they all, set in with the Heavens and the earth, and the other creatures to declare his excellency his greatness, and his goodness.

In the day of Visitation] The beholding of your good works may work this in them that they may be gained to acknowledge and embrace that religion and that God, which for the present they reject; but that it may be thus, they must be visited with that same light and grace from above which has sanctified you. This I conceive is the sense of this word though it may be, and is taken various other ways by interpreters. Possibly in this day of visitation is implied the clearer preaching of the gospel among those gentiles, where the dispersed Jews dwell, and that when they should compare the light of that doctrine with the light of their lives, and find the agreement between them, that might be helpful to their effectual calling, and so they might glorify God: But to the end that they might do thus indeed, as with the word of God and the good works of his people there must be a particular visiting of their souls by the Spirit of God: Your good conversation may be one good means of their conversion; therefore this may be a motive to that: But to make it an effectual means, this day of gracious visitation must dawn upon them. The dayspring from on high must visit them, as it is (Luke 1:78).